1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope apparatus and, more particularly, to an endoscope apparatus in which an operation portion is detachable from a body portion.
2. Description of the Related Art
Endoscope apparatuses have been widely utilized in industrial and medical fields. An endoscope apparatus has an insertion portion and can insert the insertion portion into a subject and observe an inside of the subject with an image pickup apparatus provided at, e.g., a distal end portion of the insertion portion. The endoscope apparatus generally has an operation portion and a body portion, and the operation portion is connected to the body portion that is a processor apparatus by a cable.
An object to be inspected may be at a high altitude, be large, or be immovable, especially in an industrial field. For the reason, some endoscope apparatuses are portable endoscope apparatuses. A portable endoscope apparatus has an insertion portion and an operation portion which is connected to a proximal end of the insertion portion, and a display apparatus is provided at the operation portion. An inspector can insert the insertion portion into an object to be inspected and perform endoscopic inspection while viewing an endoscopic image displayed on the display apparatus provided at the operation portion.
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 5-146400, an endoscope apparatus is proposed which is configured in consideration of portability of an endoscope such that an operation portion and an outside processor apparatus which is a body portion are separable from each other. According to the proposal, endoscopic inspection without use of the outside processor apparatus is possible, and a driving/processing unit connected to the operation portion which drives a solid image pickup device and has a video signal processing circuit is configured to be detachable from the outside processor apparatus. The operation portion not only can be used while being connected to the outside processor apparatus but also can be used as a portable endoscope apparatus in endoscopic inspection without using the outside processor apparatus when a simple light source apparatus and a monitor are connected to the operation portion.
Since a large lamp or the like can be used as a light source provided at the body portion, the endoscope apparatus with the operation portion connected to the body portion is effective when a large amount of light is required.
Some inspection places or some inspection targets may require both types of endoscope apparatuses, the portable endoscope apparatus and the normal endoscope apparatus with the operation portion and the body portion connected. For example, if inspection is possible only with the portable endoscope apparatus, endoscopic inspection is performed by using the portable endoscope apparatus. If a large amount of illuminating light is required, the operation portion and the body portion are connected, and endoscopic inspection is performed by using the light source in the body portion. That is, the portable endoscope apparatus is selected and used or the endoscope apparatus with the body portion and the operation portion connected is selected and used, according to circumstances.